Does HRC know that The Collin County Democratic Party is misrepresenting them by using their logo in posts supporting Plano’s HR ordinance? Does HRC also know that the leader of local transgender community has been banned from the Colin County Democratic Facebook page? She wasn’t just banned, first they misgendered her, reducing her to defend her very gender?

Screen grab of the Collin County Dem’s webpage post misrepresenting the national HRC organization suggesting that they are supportive of their position.

Being a resident of North Texas I know Nell Gaither personally. In the past, quite frankly, I have ben frustrated by her willingness to work through problems with LGB organizations as opposed to calling them out. Nell Gaither, the leader of the the Dallas-based Trans Pride initiative is a model for other trans activists whose singular goal is the advancement of human rights. All human rights, that is, including transgender rights.

But that’s a problem for our local Democratic party, the local gay and lesbian group and Equality Texas.

Collin County Democratic Party deleted my facebook comment literally 5 seconds after posting it and banned me from their page.

Cathryn Oakley, the HRC’s legislative counsel for state and municipal advocacy, told the Texas Observer that her organization couldn’t defend the ordinance because it doesn’t provide appropriate protections for transsexual individuals.

Under the law, certain organizations, like nonprofits and schools, are allowed provide different services based on anatomy rather than gender identity. Schools, for example, could require a transsexual teen boy to use the women’s restroom or vice versa. The idea that allowing trans individuals to use the bathroom of their choice will lead to trouble or violence is an old, debunked canard of the pro-discrimination set.

“The language in Plano is very problematic and in terms of investing a lot of resources in an ordinance that has a lot of problems, it’s difficult to see why that’s necessarily the best use of resources. If we had been consulted in the drafting of this bill, we would have withdrawn our support, and given that, it’s hard to justify defending it as valid,” Oakley said.

Oakley defended the HRC from the claims that have been made by local LGBTQ support organizations that the ordinance is a positive, if incremental step.

Nell Gaither later said “It’s important to note that many of us have worked and continue to work in the primarily cisgender queer movement. And many of us have patiently worked through years of having trans interests and needs set aside and through years of microaggresions that chip away at our patience.”

“This is not a sudden dissatisfaction or “tantrum” as it is being painted by comments blaming the trans community for our anger. It is the result of years — decades — of being reduced to second-class while our causes are appropriated for the sake of funding and advocacy theater by the glittery promotional materials and efforts of the “LGBT” mainstream.”

“It took years of asking for Resource Center to just put preferred name and gender identity on their health center intake forms for that to happen (late last year) — something they should have been in front of way more than a decade ago — and the current gender identity “solution” is still only half-assed and insufficient. As Latisha said, we take the bones they throw to us or nothing at all.”

“The current focus on marriage equality adds greatly to the frustration. Enormous sums of money and efforts and celebrations go into every little marriage equality win. It’s not that marriage equality doesn’t effect the trans community — we are lesbian and gay and bi/pan (and we are also poly, another area that is not addressed in marriage equality) — so we can celebrate that. But when we are looking at something like this list above of murders or when we are frustrated over the lack of access, not to mention respectful access, to healthcare services, the current single-issue focus in “LGBT” dialog makes a trans person feel dismissed, worthless, and invisible in that dialog.”

“And here, with the Plano policy, we have a very clear example of something the entire community should oppose. First, it failed to include us prior to the vote. Several have said “we can’t change what happened” to dismiss that. It should not at all be dismissed. It should be called out. That is absolutely part of the problem. That GALA Gay and Lesbian Alliance of North Texas formerly CCGLA and InEquality Texas did not condition their support of the policy on trans inclusion is highly problematic, and if they will do it this time they will do the same in the future. Referencing “what happened” ignores the ongoing attitudes that let it happen.”

“Second, the comments from the City Attorney and references to a “genital rule,” in addition to the obvious problems, have an incredibly heinous subtext that isn’t pointed out often enough. It not only privileges economic status (those who can afford certain surgical procedures are afforded rights) along with a strict bi-gender normativity, it also says that in order for your gender identity to be respected you must be sterilized. Think about that a little.”

“Third, policy like this contributes to, not diminishes, the stigma against trans persons. That abets the hate and violence to which this list of murders gives testimony.”

“With these enormous problems and many others, the cis LGB community still says they will support the horrible policy. The cis LGB community needs to look for the source of our anger not in the trans community, but in their own actions of dismissal and disrespect.”

Kelli Busey an outspoken gonzo style journalist has been writing since 2007. In 2008, she brought the Dallas Advocate on-line and has articles published by the Reconciling Ministries Network, The Transsexual Menace, The Daily Kos, Frock Magazine the TransAdvocate, the Dallas Voice and The Advocate. Kelli, an avid runner is editor in chief at Planet Transgender which she founded in 2007.

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2 Responses to Collin County Democrats are banning transgender people from their Facebook page

Charlene Cameron February 2, 2015 at 8:33 am

What is the hell is wrong with some Texans? And this Crazy backwards fringe Democratic splinter-group. Making a self serving agenda outside Equal Rights and openly excluding certain citizens they represent!

Jocelyn Nickle February 4, 2015 at 8:42 pm

i have the screen caps of me being me being banned as well. I don’t want to post them since they include other people’s comments.